The next domino at the receiver position is about to fall with San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel looking for a new contract. In an offseason full of big-money WR contracts, could Samuel receive a monster payday ahead of the 2022 season?
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NFL News and Rumors: Deebo Samuel is looking to be the next WR to receive a big payday
First, Davante Adams signed a massive five-year deal worth $141.25 million after a tag and trade from the Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, Tyreek Hill hit the jackpot with a four-year deal valued at $120 million when the Kansas City Chiefs shipped him to the Miami Dolphins. Now, Samuel, the Swiss Army knife skill player for the 49ers, wants his money.
Samuel cryptically made his intentions known last week when, amongst other things, he removed his 49ers profile picture on Instagram and unfollowed the team. In the day and age of social media, this seems to be the way of getting your point across rather than talking directly to the team. There have been rumblings Samuel would be looking for a new contract sooner rather than later.
So, where does it go from here? We’re told that Samuel, who is slated to make just under $4 million this season, will be looking for a contract in the range of about $25 million per year. Will that contract come from a team other than the 49ers?
The belief in league circles as of April 12 is the Niners will likely extend Deebo’s contract rather than trade him. If Jimmy Garoppolo is traded from the team as expected, San Francisco would save about $25.5 million in salary and won’t have a high-priced quarterback on the payroll.
Through three seasons, Samuel has been impressive on the field. The 26-year-old receiver already has 2,598 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns through his first three seasons. On top of that, he has added 550 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Samuel flashed his skill as a rookie in 2019. He posted a total of 961 yards from scrimmage with 6 total touchdowns. Injury hampered his career in 2020 before he took it to the next level in 2021. Samuel had 1,770 rushing and receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns last season. He also threw a touchdown for good measure.